Global Highlights:
* Global average combined land and sea surface temperature was the third warmest for June 2003
* Temperatures were much above average across most of Europe and South America with below average temperatures in the northeastern U.S. and the western half of Russia
* Precipitation during June 2003 was above average in the southeastern U.S. and East Asia, with drier than average conditions over most of Europe and India
* Sea-surface temperatures in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific began to indicate that ENSO was less likely to cycle into La Nina
Introduction
The June 2003 mean temperature was above the 1988-2002 average across most of the western U.S., Europe and India. Cooler than average temperatures occurred over far western half of Russia, much of West Africa and the eastern U.S. The mean position of upper level ridges and troughs of low pressure are generally reflected by areas of positive and negative temperature anomalies at the surface, respectively. June temperature anomalies calculated from the Global Historical Climatology Network data set of land surface stations (using a 1961-1990 base period) also show above average temperatures throughout most of Australia, much of Europe, South America and Alaska. Monthly temperatures were 3-5°C (5.4-9°F) above the mean. Cooler than average temperatures were present throughout the eastern U.S. into the Great Plains, and in Kazakhstan, where monthly temperatures were as much as 2-4°C (3.6-7.2°F) below average.
Temperature
June
* For June 2003, the global average land and ocean surface temperature was
0.54°C (0.97°F) above the 1880-2002 average, ranking as the third warmest June in the period of record
* The warmest June occurred in 1998, when the global anomaly was +0.63°C
(+1.13°F)
* Globally averaged land temperatures were second warmest on record, 0.96°C
(1.73°F) above the long-term mean
* June 2003 temperatures averaged across the Northern Hemisphere were second warmest on record, 0.61°C (1.10°F) above the long term mean
* Temperatures averaged throughout the Southern Hemisphere were second warmest, 0.47°C (0.85°F) above average
January-June
* For January-June 2003, the global average land and ocean surface temperature was 0.55°C (1.00°F) above the long term mean, third warmest
* Ocean surface temperatures were 0.40°C (0.72°F) above the 1880-2002 mean, third warmest for January-June 2003.
* January-June 2003 temperatures averaged across the Northern Hemisphere were eighth warmest on record, 0.89°C (1.60°F) above the long term mean
* Temperatures averaged throughout the Southern Hemisphere were second warmest, 0.72°C (1.30°F) above average
* Globally averaged surface temperatures (land and ocean) have been warmer than the 1971-2000 average for the last 86 consecutive months
Precipitation
* During June 2003, much above average precipitation fell across the southeastern U.S., much of Brazil, parts of East Asia and the eastern coast of Australia
* Below average precipitation was observed in the majority of Europe, India and
western Canada
Ocean and climate indicators
The negative anomalies of sea-surface temperature diminshed across the central and equatorial Pacific, as shown in the adjacent animation of weekly sea surface temperature anomalies. This trend as well as others, such as deepening of the eastern equatorial Pacific oceanic thermocline are indications of a cessation of development to La Nina conditions, although there is considerable uncertainty for the next several months. ENSO conditions in the tropical Pacific are near-neutral as of the end of June
2003. Images of sea surface temperature conditions are available for all months to date during 2003 at:lwf.ncdc.noaa.gov/oa/climate/research/sst/2003weekly-sst.html
